Ganymede's latest title Last Temple 2 is the sequel to their popular Last Temple. This puzzle game follows the Lines game genre where you line up as many adjacent pieces together in one stroke to earn high scores. The sequel doesn't add many new designs to the game tiles, rather it enhances the game tiles, animation and the entire UI presentation that make the gameplay more enjoy and fun. The game offers 100 levels and also additional 20 more levels for $0.99 extra.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Last Temple 2 is similar to Last Temple, but with the new animation and sleeker presentation, it feels like a brand new game. To take the tiles off the board, you must link them in one stroke, but the trick is to link as many as you can. The game allows you to connect the game pieces in any directions, so don't limit yourself and be creative. The only thing you can't do is double back on a tile, but other than that you can draw in any direction. Both levels designs and game tiles vary a great deal in each of the temples that include 20 levels. Each temple/location also introduces new obstacles and power-ups, and the further along you get the more road blocks you'll run into and the greater power-ups you get to use.

The game offers 100 levels with the initial purchase. You must complete a level within the time limit to unlock the next level. If you're quick at solving a level, you can earn up to 3 stars. These stars aren't just for making you feel better about yourself as you need enough of them to unlock the next temple that offers the next 20 levels. What if you didn't accumulate enough stars? It's replay time. It's a good way to try and get better times for your previous levels, but the AI is set up in such a way that it's difficult to actually get noticeably better even when you're an old hand at the gameplay. But repetition does earn you more stars even when you can't beat your previous records, so onto the next set of levels we go.

In addition to the power-ups on the game board, there are three additional powers you can select below the game board. You earn these by completing levels. There are 10 powers you can unlock and choose any three to use if you have enough points. If you don't, you can buy more power points via the IAP option.

Graphics & Sound

The graphics in Last Temple 2 look significantly better than in the last game. The retina support makes the game look sharp and colorful. Animations like exploding tiles and power-up effects runs smoothly and look gorgeous. In fact, the entire presentation including the game board launching animation, game piece animation and the title map is very polished and eye-catching. It makes the gameplay much more enjoyable.

Audio quality matches the visual quality with excellent background music and plenty of sound effects for the non-stop action on the game board. The in-game background music is cheery with a tribal and jungle-style flare, and you also get different music for beating a level as audio queue. The sound FX is outstanding, accompanying all visual effects on the game board and providing audio clue of the game pieces on the board. If you have a caterpillar piece or bugs, you'll hear their signature sound; if you have pieces trapped in a well or leaves, you get audio prompt as well.

Conclusion

Last Temple 2 is a very polished Lines game that provides ton of levels and replay value. The game has excellent visual and audio effects and it's easy to pick up and play. The game looks great on the iPad's new retina display and the fans of their last game will enjoy the visual upgrade that makes the gameplay look and feel very differently from the last run. The AI works well in general except some levels have set difficulty level that you can't do too much about.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Graphics: -5- One of the best Lines games we've seen on the retina display.Sound: -4.5- High quality audio that matches the visual and gameplay. Controls: -5- Easy to use, responsive and smooth.Gameplay: -4.5- Enjoyable and plenty. AI is a bit limiting in some levels, but not a big issue.

Playing Hints and Tips:

The gameplay encourages replay levels but be sure to watch your game points. When you run out those you won't be able to use any additional power-ups or even replay previous levels.